News

Memory Eternal! Angela Nasr of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, fell asleep in Christ late last evening, June 27th, 2014. She was the daughter of the late Fr. Zacharia and Kh. Nasra Nasr; and sister of Kh. Nawall Elias of Jacksonville, Florida; Fr. Constantine Nasr of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Kh. Ellen Antypas of Troy, Michigan; and Fr. Elias Nasr of Syracuse, New York. The funeral will be served on Tuesday, July 1st at St. Philip Church in Fort Lauderdale.

This year's Diocese of Wichita and Mid America's (DOWAMA) Parish Life Conference was held in San Antonio, Texas. The host church was the tiny St. Ephraim the Syrian, with host pastor The Rev. John Mefrige. Not only was there great weather, but the 412 people who attended conference found old friends, met new ones, and were both physically and spiritually encouraged.

There was something happening for everyone. The younger kids went to a children's Whitte Museum one day and did some interesting craft projects the next. Teens were busy going to Six Flags/Fiesta Texas as well as making blankets to be donated to a community home for unwed mothers.

[SVOTS Communications/Yonkers, NY] St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, Yonkers, NY, has chosen as its theme for Orthodox Education Day 2014, "Do Books Still Matter? A Celebration of Orthodox Christian Publications." This year’s traditional open house will be held Saturday, October 4, and will pay tribute to the importance of Orthodox Christian authors, illustrators, and publishing houses throughout the world.

The dean of the seminary, The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, author of academic, popular, and spiritual works, will be the keynote speaker. The seminary’s own publishing house, St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press (SVS Press), will receive special recognition on reaching its 50th Anniversary and will invite many other Orthodox Christian publishers onto campus to help it mark the occasion.

Ancient Faith Publishing, the publishing arm of the Antiochian Archdiocese department Ancient Faith Ministries, announced on June 25, 2014 that their 2013 release A Patristic Treasuryhas won the prestigious Word Guild award for the "Inspirational/Devotional" category. Authored by patristic scholar James Payton, the book discusses patristic passages that are "devotionally stimulating, doctrinally thought-provoking, or epigrammatically striking...." Payton is professor of History at Redeemer University College in Ancaster, Ontario, where he teaches Eastern European History, Orthodoxy, and Patristics.

The Word Guild is a professional association consisting of some 325 Canadian Christian writers, editors, speakers, publishers, booksellers, librarians and other interested individuals. The Guild's focus is on "strengthening the Canadian Christian writing and publishing community; encouraging excellence in writing; and impacting the Canadian culture through the words of writers, editors and speakers with a Christian worldview."

His Grace Bishop Thomas, Diocese of Charleston, Oakland and the Mid-Atlantic, encourages the faithful of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America to explore the possibilities of the educational opportunities that exist at the Balamand Seminary and the University of Balamand. "This is a multi-purpose institution," notes His Grace. "Here are some links that you and your high school and college students might want to take a look at. I was very impressed when I visited the University. In addition to Theology, there are a number of areas that can be studied the Balamand. The links that are provided here will familiarize you with everything the University has to offer.

Fr. Robert James Bethony, retired and attached to St. George Church in El Paso, Texas, fell asleep in Christ on June 17th, 2014 at the age of 73. He is survived by his wife Khouriya Elizabeth and their married daughter Alexis. The Funeral Service will be served at St. George in El Paso on Friday, June 20 at 10:00AM.

Beginning Sunday, June 15, 2014, Antiochian Village Summer Camp in Bolivar, Pennsylvania begins its summer-long camping program for kids age 9-18. Since 1978, the mission of the Camp has been to promote the faith of the Orthodox Church through ministry to the youth. The Village has been a "holy mountain" wherein campers form lifelong friendships and grow stronger as Christians.

With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Silouan of Buenos Aires and all Argentina, the patriarchal vicar of New York and all North America, the 2014 Archdiocese Summer Meetings will be hosted at the Antiochian Village, July 18-20, 2014. The Archdiocese and diocese officers of the Antiochian Women,Fellowship of St. John Divine, and Teen SOYO, will gather for their annual summer meetings to conduct the business of the Archdiocese organizations.

In addition, the Archdiocese Bible Bowl and Oratorical Festivals will be held during the weekend with participants from each diocese. Please contact your NAC/NAB President if you have any questions.

On June 5, 2014, hierarchs, clergy, and laity delegates convened in Chicago, IL at the Hyatt Regency Hotel to participate in the historic Archdiocese Special Convention, with the purpose of selecting three candidates whose names will be submitted to the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Antioch for the office of Metropolitan of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America and Canada.

In the interview, Fr. Thomas also thanked His Eminence Metropolitan Silouan of Buenos Aires and all Argentina, who has served as the Patriarchal Vicar of New York and all North America since the repose of His Eminence Metropolitan Philip of Blessed Memory on March 19, 2014.

The Antiochian clergy of the Capital Deanery (the Greater Washington, D.C. / Baltimore area) were invited by the Franciscans of Washington D.C. to offer Orthodox Vespers on Sunday, May 18, 2014, at the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America, as part of the fiftieth anniversary celebration of the meeting of Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagorus in Jerusalem in 1964. The 50th anniversary was also marked in Jerusalem this year by the meeting of Pope Francis I and Patriarch Bartholomew on May 25, 2014, where they prayed together for peace in the Middle East.

Prior to his repose, Metropolitan Philip of Blessed Memory received a request from the Franciscans asking for his blessing for this service, emphasizing the need to join together in support of the suffering Christians of the Middle East.

The Department of Conventions and Conference Planning has released the following details regarding the Archdiocese Special Nominating Convention being held June 5th in Chicago, IL. (See here for introductory information on upcoming May and June leadership meetings and the convention.)

June 3 Update from Raed Sweiss, Department of Conventions and Conference Planning

Rev. Fathers, Members of the Archdiocese Board of Trustees and Delegates,

We look forward to seeing you in Chicago on Wednesday, June 4th and Thursday, June 5th, 2014 for the Special Convention. Below are a few items to note for your upcoming meeting:

1) Registration will be open from 6 pm – 9 pm on Wednesday, June 4th and from 7 am – 10 am on Thursday, June 5th. We encourage everyone to pick up their badges on Wednesday night to elevate any rush on Thursday morning.

2) A GOVERNMENT ISSUED PHOTO ID is required to pick up your badge and needs to be shown whenever you enter the General Assembly along with your badge.

3) A continental breakfast will be provided on Thursday morning at 8 am as part of your registration.

On May 29, 2014, Ancient Faith Radio (AFR) released a podcast in their "Ancient Faith Presents" series titled "Tragedy in Isla Vista, California." The program features Antiochian priest Fr. John Finley in an interview he conducted with fellow clergy member Archpriest Jon-Stephen Hedges. Father Jon directs the St. Brigid Fellowship, a ministry started by St. Athanasius Orthodox Church, an Antiochian parish in Santa Barbara, CA. He is also a chaplain with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department, and in the interview Fr. Jon discusses with Fr. John Finley his role on the scene at the sites of the recent string of murders in Isla Vista, California.

"We Christians are amphibians-that is, we live in two kingdoms," notes Fr. Jon. "Sometimes we would like to stay in the altar...but when we go forth, we go forth with the scent of heaven. We don't go forth for the privileged or for those who are strong and well. We go forth for those who are broken."

On Sunday, May 25, 2014, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Pope Francis will convene at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem to commemorate a meeting in the Holy Land held fifty years ago by their predecessors, Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras and Pope Paul VI.

The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America's Website published a joint statement issued by Assembly Chairman Archbishop Demetrios and Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. "We not only express our appreciation of the work of our North American dialogue, but also our joy that our Churches have increasingly been able to speak with one voice on the pressing issues that our society faces today ... we call our people to pray for the success of the upcoming meeting between Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Jerusalem for the glory of God and the promotion of Christianity in our wounded world."

The Apostolic Pilgrimage to Jerusalem Website offers further resources, including photo and video galleries, archival and biographical information for the Pope and Patriarch, and access to a live broadcast of the Prayer Service of Thanksgiving to be offered on May 25.

OCN's Executive Director, Fr. Christopher Metropulos, was among the more than 180 Christian leaders who signed the call to action and attended the event. Other Orthodox signatories included Fr. Nathanael Symeonides, Director of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese's Office of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations; Martin Ritsi of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC); and Dr. Elizabeth Prodromou, assistant professor in the Department of International Relations at Boston University, among others.

The statement and press conference were organized by Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) and Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA), co-chairs of the bipartisan Religious Minorities in the Middle East Caucus.

The Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) announces that there are still openings available for its 2014 Mission Teams. Two teams will be traveling to Lokichar, Kenya this summer to assist with the construction of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church. When completed, this will be the third permanent church in the Turkana region of Kenya that the faithful of North America have sponsored through the OCMC. The first 2014 team will serve from June 17th to July 1st and the second from June 24th to July 11th.

In another opportunity, the OCMC Orthodox Mission Team to Mexico will be laboring at the Mission of San Esteban the first Martyr, outside of Mexico City. This team has been invited to offer youth and adult catechism, and to be part of the life of the Church in Mexico. This is a unique opportunity to engage the faithful of Mexico, share your Faith and be a part of a Christian witness. The dates are July 5 to July 12, 2014. Participants with experience in youth ministry and catechism are urged to apply. Conversational Spanish-speaking ability is recommended.

This conference seeks to cultivate a deeper theological appreciation regarding ways Divine Compassion, the eleos of God, affects the participation of women and men in the life of the Church today. The conference builds upon the work of last year’s inaugural conference, "Divine Compassion: Orthodox Christians in Service of Perfect Love."

The International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) ministers in the United States with emergency response, community development, and supporting literacy and education. Two recent stories are a reminder of this.

Religious leaders gathered at the Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Chicago to dedicate more than 10,000 new books provided by International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC). The trove of colorful, age-appropriate reading materials will benefit thousands of schoolchildren participating in after-school enrichment opportunities, mentoring and summer learning programs in the Chicago area. The leaders were joined by wide-eyed youngsters from some of the city's most impoverished Southside neighborhoods who were grateful beneficiaries.

It's time to register for your diocese's regional Parish Life Conference (PLC)!

This year's conferences are spread out across five weekends in June and July. On June 11-15, the Diocese of Wichita and the Diocese of Miami will kick off the PLC season in San Antonio, TX and Orlando, FL. Shortly thereafter on June 19-22, the Diocese of Worcester will convene in Boston, MA. Fort Wayne, IN, will be the site for the final June conference with the Diocese of Toledo's PLC on June 25-29. Finally, the Dioceses of Los Angeles and Eagle River, Charleston and New York, and Ottawa, will all meet from July 2-6, combining Fourth of July celebrations with Parish Life Conferences.

As always, this year's theme, love for God and neighbor, will be the focus of the Creative Festivals, a highlight of the conferences. Youth and organizational meetings, spiritually edifying speakers and services, and social events for kids and adults alike, all make the PLCs one of the Archdiocese's most established and popular traditions.

To facilitate your parish participation in the Creative Arts, Bible Bowl and Oratorical Festivals, all resources are available in the Festivals 2014 section of Antiochian.org. Additionally, ads for the souvenir journals can be purchased and registrations can be submitted through the Department of Conventions and Conference Planning's Antiochian Events pages.

In partnership with Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry (OCPM), Ancient Faith Radio is bringing back the paperback edition of the Orthodox Study Bible New Testament and Psalms. This Bible, which has been out of print for two years, is in high demand among those who prefer a more affordable Orthodox Study Bible and those who serve America's prison population, because the majority of state and federal prisons will not allow inmates to have hardback books/Bibles.

"Recently, OCPM was only able to send 231 Bibles to those in prison because we were out of stock, yet our demand was much greater" said Chaplain Patrick Tutella, Executive Director of OCPM.

On Saturday May 3, 2014, His Eminence Metropolitan Silouan of Buenos Aires and all Argentina, Patriarchal Vicar for the Archdiocese, visited St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church in Hunt Valley, MD. Deacon Michael Bishop filed a report and a photo gallery to commemorate the eventful day.

When I first received an invitation to meet Metropolitan Silouan, I did not act because of the traveling requirement. Then I heard that he was coming to St. Mary's Orthodox Church, which is a manageable distance from where I live.

When I arrived at the church and went in the Altar, I was immediately introduced to His Eminence Metropolitan Silouan, whom I found to be a very warm and friendly hierarch. My first impression was that he was the bishop's deacon, especially since I saw Bishop Nicholas there and I did not know that another bishop was also coming. Subdeacon Basil also had the same impression and the three of us had a laugh over this when he told us later....I'm pointing this out because many of our bishops are models of humility. They are very approachable and real spiritual fathers. Both the metropolitan and the bishop were very friendly.

Hear the voice of gladness, O women; for I have trodden down rebellious Hades, and raised the world from corruption. Wherefore, hasten ye and proclaim the glad tidings to My beloved; for I desire that joy shall break forth thence upon My creation, whence first came forth sorrow.

--Orthros of the Feast, Tone 2

On this day, the third Sunday of Pascha, we celebrate the feast of the holy Myrrh-bearing women. And we also make commemoration of Joseph of Arimathea, who was a secret disciple, and Nicodemus, who was a disciple by night.

The women disciples bring myrrh unto Christ;And I bring a hymn as it were myrrh unto them.